Once a week leading up to the 2008 NFL Draft, three-time Super Bowl winner Clayton Holmes will personally explain some of the pitfalls he fell into as a player: Money problems, inability to say "no," the gold diggers, the party culture, his own demons from childhood. As told to BC sportswriter James David Dickson.

The Turk is one of the most feared people on any football team. That's because he's the guy who, when the team decides to cut you, comes around to ask for your playbook before sending you to speak with the coach.

Coach might give you the official news, but seeing the Turk make his way towards you, with his shifty, sorry to be the bearer of bad news eye contact, is one of the worst sights you can ever imagine - your heart never beat so fast in your life.

You could try to argue him, which would be useless since he's only the messenger. You could try to argue the coach, which would be useless since he's already made a decision and his ego probably won't let him go back on it. But when the Turk makes his approach, chances are you're leaving the building without a job. Even if you keep it, you know it's just a matter of time before you're Turked for good.

The Turk is the guy you want to avoid at all costs - for your entire career if possible, but especially as a rookie. Veterans, if they still have some game left, can usually catch on with another team. In all their years in the League they've turned someone's head through a tackle they've made or broken, the kind of play that makes coaches on the opposing sideline think, "hey, if I get a chance at that kid..." That's why coaches often grab free agents from within the division. In addition to gaining insights on how a division rival operates, they've witnessed the damage that player can do.

So, to get cut as a rookie, with no such highlights under your belt, few contacts, and no real reputation to fall back on — it can kill your career before it's even out of the gate. Until you catch on with another team and start making plays, you'll always be one of the JAGs (Just Another Guy) proving to coaches that you deserve a tryout.

Like most things in life, finding a place in the NFL is much easier if you do it right the first time. Because if you mess up as a rookie, there might not be a second chance.